Advanced Typography /Task 3：Type Expression and Application
16/6/2025 - 18/7/2025 / Week 8 - Week 14
Cai Zihan / 0378043
Advanced Typography / Bachelor of Design in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Task 3:Type Expression and Application
TABLE OF CONTENT
LECTURES
INSTRUCTIONS
TASK 3
TASK 3 OUTCOME COMPILATION
FEEDBACK
REFLECTION
LECTURES
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In Task 3, we were instructed to base our proposal on three options:
• Create a font designed to solve a larger problem/part of a solution in your area of interest.
• Explore existing fonts in your area of interest.
• Experiment with design
From the options given, we were instructed to present a proposal consisting of our ideas related to the topic.
Here is my proposal presentation:
Fig 1.1Proposal slides（Week 9，10/6/2025）
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Fig 1.2 Font reference（week 9，10/6/2025） |
I decided to use the font in this image to expand it into 26 letters.
It can be seen that this font has a technological and modern feel to it. It is designed with small twists and turns, and the overall font is very square, with most of it designed using rectangles.
Observe the reference I have selected. It is a font with a very modern technological feel, but it also has some additional details, such as some strokes being thick and others thin, and some extra spacing.
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Fig 1.3 Font details(week 9,10/6/2025) |
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Fig 1.4 Font Draft Capital Letters（week 10，18/6/2025） |
This is my first draft design on paper, featuring the 26 uppercase letters.
After that, I digitized my sketches. The image below shows my digitized capital letters.
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Fig 1.5 Capitalized font digitization（week10，19/6/2025） |
In addition to some squares, I also added the following: some triangles, added some edges to the squares, added some gaps, and added some variation in thickness.
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Fig 1.6 Some details（week10，22/6/2025） |
After the professor looked at my capital letters during class, he let me continue.
The professor requested that the lowercase font be designed next to the uppercase font and that a new baseline be set for the lowercase font.
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Fig 1.7 lowercase font（week11，1/7/2025） |
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Fig 1.8 Improvements（week11，1/7/2025） |
During class, the professor looked at our lowercase letters and asked me to move them down to the baseline at the bottom.
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Fig 1.9 Improved final product（week11，3/7/2025） |
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Fig 1.10 outline view（week 11， 5/7/2025） |
I put the finished font into the resource export so that it can be entered into FontForge.
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Fig 1.11 Resource export（week 12，7/7/2025） |
After exporting the fonts placed in resource export, import them into FontForge.After designing all the letters and punctuation marks in Adobe Illustrator, I copied the shapes according to the tutorial video and pasted them into FontForge.
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| Fig 1.12 Import into FontForge(week 12，7/7/2025) |
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Fig 1.13 Imported fonts(week 12，7/7/2025) |
Kerning
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| Fig 1.14Sidebearing measurement table(week 12，7/7/2025) |
After adjusting the font spacing, export the font.
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| Fig 1.15 Export the font(week 12，7/7/2025) |
Link to download the font:Cai Zihan Font.ttf
Font Presentation
- 5 Artworks
- 1024px x 1024px, 300 ppi
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| Fig 2.1 Colour Palette(week 12，11/7/2025) |
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| Fig 2.2Draft layouts(week 12，11/7/2025) |
For this font presentation, I used 3D and materials from 3D > Bevel and Emboss. For example, for the first layer, I selected Isometric - Top > Thickness 0 pt, for the second layer, Isometric - Left > Thickness 0 pt, selected all > Expand Appearance, and then added a dotted line. I copied the text from the first layer to the third layer and changed the color to create a shadow.
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| Fig 2.3 Font Presentation 1(week 12，11/7/2025) |
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| Fig 2.4 Font Presentation 2(week 12，11/7/2025) |
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| Fig 2.5 Font Presentation 3(week 12，11/7/2025) |
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| Fig 2.6Font Presentation 4(week 12，11/7/2025) |
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| Fig 2.7 Font Presentation 5(week 12，11/7/2025) |
Finalized Font Applications
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| Fig 3.1 Font Application 1(week 13，12/7/2025) |
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| Fig 3.2 Font Application 2(week 13，12/7/2025) |
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| Fig 3.3 Font Application 3(week 13，12/7/2025) |
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| Fig 3.4 Font Application 4(week 13，12/7/2025) |
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| Fig 3.5Font Application 5(week 13，12/7/2025) |
Task 3 Final Outcome
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| Fig 4.1Font Presentation 1(week 13，13/7/2025) |
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| Fig 4.2 Font Presentation 2(week 13，13/7/2025) |
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| Fig 4.3 Font Presentation 3(week 13，13/7/2025) |
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| Fig 4.4Font Presentation 4(week 13，13/7/2025) |
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| Fig 4.5Font Presentation 5(week 13，13/7/2025) |
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| Fig 4.6Font Application 1(week 13，13/7/2025) |
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| Fig 4.7Font Application 2(week 13，13/7/2025) |
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| Fig 4.8Font Application 3(week 13，13/7/2025) |
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| Fig 4.9Font Application 4(week 13，13/7/2025) |
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| Fig 4.10Font Application 5(week 13，13/7/2025) |
Feedback
Reflection
Designing your own font is a very interesting process. We first selected several designs we wanted to work on and then chose one final design to develop. All 26 letters needed to maintain the same height, so I believe this was a very rigorous process. Importing the font into FontForge did take a significant amount of time, as I sometimes had to adjust the size and place each character individually. However, I think trying different software is also a good option, as I had never used it before.
Observation：
I consulted a lot of materials to learn how to create a font, how to export a font, and how to make a font presentation. I referred to a lot of materials and learned a lot from them.
Findings：
Creating fonts is a very rigorous process. Before creating something, I think it is helpful to refer to other people's excellent works for inspiration for your next creation. You can also learn from online tutorial videos to expand your knowledge.
Further Reading
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| Fig 5.1 The Vignelli Canon(week 13,14/7/2025) |
The Vignelli Canon is a design guide written by Italian-American graphic design master Massimo Vignelli in his later years, and is a concise summary of his decades of design experience. The book is concise, lively, and philosophical, emphasizing the importance of timeless design, and is one of the culminations of the spirit of modernist design.
The Vignelli Canon is divided into two main parts:
1. The Intangible
This part focuses on the philosophical aspects of design, including the values, concepts, and social responsibilities that designers should uphold. It mainly includes the following keywords:
1. Semantics: Understanding the essence of content and giving visual expressions appropriate meaning
2. Syntactics: The arrangement and combination of elements, layout structure, and visual rhythm
3. Pragmatics: Design must have a clear function and serve people
4. Responsibility: Designers must be accountable for the content they create and its impact
He believes that “design should not be fashion, but part of culture,” emphasizing durability and functionality.
2. The Tangible
This section discusses specific design elements and techniques, such as:
Grid systems
Typography (advocating classic fonts like Helvetica and Bodoni)，Color systems，Use of images and icons，Printing standards and layout design，Corporate identity.
Vignelli particularly emphasized “less is more,” advocating rationality and order in minimalist design.
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